


Bent Knee, Open Maw

by Spongecatdog



Category: Outlast (Video Games)
Genre: Eddie be ticking his boxes like check check check ur my bitch now :), Forced Feminization, Forced Marriage, M/M, Update: We Stole A Beta, Werewolves, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:13:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26259961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spongecatdog/pseuds/Spongecatdog
Summary: Mysteries may lure you into their midst, but the monsters are the ones that will keep you there.
Relationships: Eddie Gluskin/Waylon Park
Comments: 19
Kudos: 179





	1. Lesson One: Don't Trust Random Strangers in the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> *Shows up 15 years late with Starbucks, a dead meme, and in a different fandom* sup fuckers. it's me, ya boi.
> 
> In all seriousness though, I haven't actively written anything in years and definitely not in the Outlast fandom, so please excuse me if I'm rusty af. I'm an ol' grammy who found her way back :)

Cold snow crunched underfoot as Waylon made his way through the looming forest. Shivering, he tugged the red, woolen cape closer to his body to block out the biting wind. Shuffling further into the dark night, Waylon wondered how much longer until he reached his destination. The night was growing long, and his feet were long past tired, but it had been far too long since he had heard from Miles. While the man tended to wander off and disappear for days on end, this was the first time he left right before a major storm. Despite Miles’s reassurances, Waylon still couldn’t shake off the feelings of dread. He sighed and trudged forward despite the loud complaints from his body.

A small part of Waylon almost wished that Miles had decided to get lost in a brighter, warmer place than a dimly lit forest, but it was quickly overcome by feelings of guilt. It wasn’t like Miles had intentionally gotten lost somewhere, and he only chose the frigid environment due to the cases nearby, which were admittedly more than a little strange. There were accounts of men and women slain in the snow with words such as SLUT and WHORE written around them using their own blood. The strangest part, however, was the fact that the chest cavity and the… more _sensitive_ areas of the human anatomy were all clearly carved out using sharp, dagger-like claws. As though a wild creature had discovered written language moments after slicing open a human body. Miles was fascinated by the case. It sounded like something straight out of a horror novel.

It sounded like a werewolf.

A soft crunching sound to his left caused Waylon to instinctively jerk towards the source. It would seem as though Waylon was no longer alone with only his thoughts to keep him company.

Standing by a tree was a rather curious sight. A tall, broad man in, strangely enough, a tux remained motionless as though waiting for Waylon to make the first move. Waylon froze in place with eyes wide as he stared at the newcomer. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized the once cantankerous forest was now deadly silent. Shivering, Waylon attempted to shake his nerves off. Forests were surprisingly temperamental when it came to sound, so they often went as silent as a grave for next to no reason at all. Still, Waylon _really_ hoped the mysterious man’s appearance was more coincidence than a cause.

Waylon shook his head as if to dispel his suspicions. There was nothing wrong, and Waylon’s mind was likely playing tricks on him after being alone in the woods for so many hours. If anything, the stranger had likely been on his way to somewhere nearby and simply gotten turned around at some point. There was no other sane reason someone would be in the frigid cold wearing only a tuxedo after all. Besides, maybe the strange man had somehow stumbled upon Miles at some point in his journey and was merely waiting around in case any others appeared in search of him. Mind made; Waylon moved towards the man as he spoke.

“Sir? Are you alright? You really shouldn’t be wandering these forests at this time without wearing the right clothing. You will sooner catch your death than find it in the face of a wild animal here.”

Instead of answering, the man raised an eyebrow as his lips quirked upward into a half-smile as though laughing at some secret joke. “A red cape.” He tilted his head slightly as he inspected Waylon. “I suppose it's a little on the nose... but it suits you well, darling.” Waylon blinked and shot the taller man a confused glance.

“Excuse me?”

A chuckle fell from the other’s lips as he raised a hand to hide his growing smile. “Oh, don’t worry your pretty, little head about it, darling.” He paused for a moment as if to regain composure. “Although, I must know. What is someone like you doing out in these woods in this weather?”

Waylon glanced at the mysterious man warily. Deciding to let the strangeness of the man pass, he responded. “I’m out looking for a friend. Have you seen anyone out here with dark hair, a camera, and definitely way too much enthusiasm for someone stuck out here in the freezing cold, Mr…?”

The grin on the other man grew as he responded, doing nothing to soothe the anxious nerves fluttering in Waylon’s stomach. “Gluskin. Eddie Gluskin. But please, call me Eddie.” Eddie stepped towards Waylon, and Waylon had to resist the urge to take a responding step back. While Eddie was definitely an unnerving man, he had done nothing to deserve any distrust despite whatever Waylon’s primal brain may be screeching at him.

“Thank you for your concern, but I am well acquainted with these woods. I’ve lived out here since I was a young boy, so these lands are almost as familiar as the back of my hand. I was simply out here… watching the scenery. It is rather beautiful this time of year, isn’t it?”

Okay. So, the mysterious man in the woods was more than a little strange. Who would have guessed?

Whatever. Being friends with Miles meant that Waylon had met more creeps than he would have ever liked. Hell, Waylon had been chased by a cannibal once due to apparently having very lovely looking flesh, so really Gluskin wasn’t that bad in comparison. Very tall and with a weird penchant for giving strangers pet names, it seemed, but Waylon wasn’t running for his life yet, so that was a definite plus.

“Ah, I see…” Waylon trailed off. “So, you haven’t seen or heard anyone other than me out here?”

Eddie’s face seemed to fall as though generally displeased by Waylon’s disappointment.

“Unfortunately, no. The night is still young, however, and the storm grows ever stronger. Perhaps you would be better somewhere safer and warmer?”

The offer was tempting. Waylon couldn’t deny that in the least, but it didn’t mean he was going to take Eddie up on the offer. If he wanted to stay warm and comfortably far away from danger, he would have stayed in the hotel and simply waited for Miles to return. Thus, walking around in the cold, dark forest while miserably searching for his friend it was. He sighed and looked away into the night, missing the way Eddie watched the hot air crawling out of his mouth with rapt interest.

“I’m afraid I can’t. Miles is still out here, and I can’t rest until I know he is safe.”

A myriad of emotions seemed to flit across Eddie’s face before settling on an understanding smile.

“Of course. But surely there is someone waiting for you at your home? It would be rather rude to leave their bed cold all night.”

Waylon shook his head reflexively, “Oh no!” A nervous chuckle passed his lips. “I don’t have anyone like that waiting for me! I’m just in town with my friend. He came because of the strange cases. Miles tends to get into too much trouble when left alone, so I figured I should probably follow him here just in case. It's not the first time he’s gotten so wrapped up in a case that I’ve lost him, and I doubt it will be the last, but I still hate to just leave him somewhere alone.”

Eddie’s eyes lit up, and Waylon had the strangest feeling he just passed an unknown test.

“All the more reason then! If you collapse out here, then no one will know to save you. You can’t help your friend if you’re dead, you know. Come with me.”

Waylon shuffled. His unease with the other was finally growing too much to bear, and he had already wasted too much time with a dead end. If Eddie wanted to freeze to death in a tuxedo, then he could, but Waylon sure as hell wasn’t letting another moment pass when Miles could be curled up in the snow with all kinds of frostbite covering his flesh.

“Thank you for the offer. I really appreciate it, but I have to go find Miles.”

“Ah… you misunderstand me.”

Hot breath suddenly hit his face as Waylon froze in fear.

“I wasn’t asking.”

A sudden feeling of icy coldness trickled down Waylon’s back in a way that couldn’t be fully attributed to the weather. Waylon inwardly cursed his own idiocy. Who in the hell told random men in the middle of a dark forest that there was no one waiting for them?! Panicking, Waylon said the first thing that came to his mind to distract the strange man and give himself time to create an escape plan. Glancing around rapidly at his surroundings before landing on Eddie, he blurted out the first thought to come into his mind at the sight of the other’s face.

“My, what uh...large eyes you have…?”

Great, Waylon, he thought bitterly. Insult the weird, questionably crazy man you just met in the middle of the night in a forest miles away from civilization and anyone that could potentially save you. That’s a great idea and has never gotten anyone ever killed!

Eddie was steadily gaining ground on Waylon as the shorter man attempted to back away. Perhaps if Waylon was lucky enough, it was all a huge misunderstanding, and Eddie was simply incredibly inept at picking up typical societal cues.

“Oh! The better to see you with, my dear.”

Waylon gulped as his eyes flitted to and fro in search for an escape route as his mouth continued rambling.

“What large ears you have…”

“The better to hear your sweet nothings with.”

Waylon’s eyes jumped back to Eddie. Okay. Maybe it wasn’t all a misunderstanding, and Waylon was well and truly fucked. His heart dropped at the sight of the shiny, bright teeth gleaming at him through a thoroughly intimidating grin.

“My, what sharp teeth you have…!”

“The better to claim you with, my darling.”  
  


Waylon squeaked as solid bark made contact with his back. Torn between keeping an eye on the now obviously insane man in front of him and attempting to find an escape route, Waylon chewed his lip and settled for quick, short glances around Eddie. His muscles tensed as his heart pounded, readying his body for the flight response.

One.

_Crunch._

Two…

_Crunch_.

_Three!_

Waylon shot off to the giant’s left as his mind whirred. Was he supposed to zigzag or was that only with alligators?! Or did you even zigzag with them?! Either way, Waylon had to decide and fast. While there was no definite proof, the look in Eddie’s eyes when he spoke was enough to make Waylon fear for his skin in a sense more literal than comfort. Dodging to the right, Waylon strained his ears in hopes of hearing the other crunching through the snow. Surely if Waylon was making this much noise, then Eddie should be as well, right?!

Cold air burned his aching lungs as he forced his already tired legs further and further away. Somewhere in the midst of attempting to confuse Eddie, he seemed to have fallen off of his original trail. Waylon his lip harshly and winced at the responding sharp sting and the smell of iron. Once warm clothing had now turned traitor as Waylon’s body began burning from the combination of exertion and freezing snow still pelting his face. The crunch of snow to his left was far too close for comfort though, so there was no time to do anything about it other than ignore his displeased body.

A bright light shone ahead of him, and Waylon to blink furiously to ensure the long cabin in the woods was not a hallucination brought on by panic and stress.

Thank God! As long as Waylon could get to the cabin, he could get inside, warn the person living there, and lock the lunatic chasing out in the cold where he would hopefully freeze to death. Once inside, he could gather himself and plan. Now all he had to do was make it.

_Just._

_A Few._

_More._

_Steps._

Cold ice bit at Waylon’s face as he hit the ground face first. He hissed as pain pounded in both his head and ankle. Any attempts to move his foot was met with spasms and hot pain. Looking up towards the cabin, Waylon finally let loose tears of frustration. So. Fucking. Close. Slow footsteps crunching behind him caused Waylon to stiffen and gulp. Fuck. Not only was Miles still somewhere in the cold alone, but now Waylon was about to be killed by potentially the same thing that brought them here. Warm arms picked him and cradled him close. Waylon slowly turned his head to face Eddie. He squeaked at the crazed grin on Eddie’s face.

“What a clumsy little thing you are, darling! But fret not. Now, I can always be here to catch you when you fall now that we’re finally together.”

The next thing he knew, there was a soft _shhhft_ as a canister released gas straight into his face. By the time Waylon realized what the other was doing, his already struggling grasp of consciousness was waning. Waylon squirmed under the other’s grip as he desperately fought off the impending darkness. Just before his eyelids completely fluttered shut, he heard a door open.

“Welcome home, darling.”


	2. Lesson Two: Play Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up from a drugged sleep is never a fun time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took eons to get out. It felt like pulling each individual eyebrow hair out one by one would be easier than muddling through this chapter sometimes, but it was needed to get to the next one.

Waylon was drowning in a sea of his own making. Consciousness seemed to come and go much like the ebb and flow of an ocean tide. For every moment Waylon could somewhat make sense of his surroundings, there were two more moments of muffled confusion. Any attempts to grasp onto his surroundings only led to slipping back into an ocean of unconsciousness. It was similar to the sensation of trying to swim towards the surface of a wave only to be dragged back down by undertow and tossed around as though he was broken shards of shell instead of a human being.

The regainment of body movement was an arduous task that Waylon hoped to never repeat again in his life. Small twitches appeared in his fingers and slowly skittered their way up his arms. Sensation was a slow thing mostly punctuated by electrical tingles almost as though Waylon had been laying on his limbs for a long period of time. A small groan left Waylon’s lips as his eyes fluttered open only to quickly slam shut. Wincing, he lifted a hand to cover his eyes in an attempt to block out the light penetrating the room. Fuck, his head was pounding… What had he done last night? Had Miles managed to drag him out to a bar…? No, that didn’t sound right, but why?

Miles…

Waylon jerked upright only to groan once more and lay back down with his eyes screwed tight.  _ Fuck _ ! Miles! He didn’t have time to be laying down in bed with a headache no matter how shitty he felt! Miles was somewhere lost in a freezing cold forest! The last thing Waylon remembered was venturing out into the dark forest alone in search of his friend, and he definitely wouldn’t have left no matter what without Miles, so just where the hell was he? Swallowing back biting nausea likely caused by the growing migraine, Waylon painstakingly opened his eyes to peer out at his surroundings.

He seemed to be in some sort of log cabin judging by the wooden walls. There was a window just across from Waylon that allowed him to watch the gently falling snow. So he wasn’t out of the forest then… Perhaps he had just fainted while looking for Miles and some kind stranger took pity on a lost soul? That still doesn’t explain the headache or missing memories though. What the hell happened before he got to wherever he was?

“Darling! You’re awake!”

Oh.  _ Fuck. _

It was as though every cell in Waylon’s body decided to turn to ice at that exact moment. Trembling, Waylon swallowed back the vomit threatening to crawl up his throat as he stared at the large man standing by the door frame. Fuck, that was right. He was out in the forest looking for Miles, and some psycho had decided that kidnapping Waylon was on the agenda for that day. Shivering, Waylon hoped to God that Eddie hadn’t done anything to him during his period of unconsciousness. Although judging by the other’s previous actions, that was likely a wish that withered and died before it could ever be truly formed. 

Seemingly uncaring of Waylon’s lack of response, Eddie continued. “You had quite the tumble in your excitement to reach our home!” He chuckled. “Truly, what a clumsy girl you are! But I suppose that just means I will always have to be there to catch you, right dear?” Eddie walked further into the room. “Unfortunately, there was too much blood, so your clothing was ruined. Although, that is admittedly not too terrible of a tragedy. Honestly, darling, we will have to work on that fashion sense of yours. Not to worry! We will have plenty of time to fix that! For now though, please feel free to continue depending on me for your wardrobe.”

Waylon froze as his skin crawled. He hadn’t noticed it, but there was a distinct lack of winter clothing covering his body and a strange tingling feeling covering his entire skin. Swallowing, he looked down only to let out a strangled gasp. Instead of wearing several layers of winter clothing as well as his red cape, Waylon was now wearing a sheer, red nightgown that seemed to barely reach past his knees. Apparently Eddie had seen fit to change him while he slept. Waylon went to rub at his arm as some sort of self-comfort mechanism only to pause and freeze. Great. The psycho not only had seen Waylon naked at this point but also shaved off all of his arm hair as well. Judging by Eddie’s strange fascination with feminizing Waylon, there was a fairly decent chance the small amount of facial hair Waylon had was now gone as well as any other “unsightly hairs”. Waylon could only hope Eddie had left his private areas alone. At least that explained the strange tingling feeling Waylon felt every time he shifted slightly. 

“I was admittedly torn on what color would suit you best, but you looked absolutely delectable in your red cape.” Eddie stepped forward as his grin widened. “I was worried it might make you look rather like a whore, but I should have known that even the most seductive of colors would only make your innocence shine through even more! You truly are spectacular, darling!”

Waylon shivered and attempted to ignore the way Eddie’s eyes seemed to track every movement of the spaghetti strap holding the nightgown to his frame. What the hell was wrong with this man?! Apparently some of his disbelief must have bled out onto his face as Eddie’s expression began to darken. 

“Do you not appreciate my gift for you? Maybe I was wrong, and you truly are an ungrateful slut? I have been fooled before by rotten whores in the past. Perhaps you’re just another disgusting wretch…”

Flinching, Waylon raised his hands in what he hoped was a placating manner. “No, no! It's wonderful! I just… didn’t expect to be wearing it when I woke up! You’re so thoughtful to clean me while I was asleep, Eddie.” The words felt like glass shards pouring from his throat, catching on the sides of his esophagus and burning his lungs like his own personal internal forest fire as he forced them out.

It didn’t matter that Waylon felt utterly disgusted and violated. All that mattered was that he kept Eddie happy until he could escape and find Miles somewhere in this godforsaken forest. Maintaining Eddie’s good mood was turning out to be difficult, but it could be done. If Waylon could get his creepy boss off his back, then Waylon sure as hell could make an enamoured, delusional psychopath believe him.

The effect was almost immediate. “You’ll have to forgive me for my harsh words, darling. My heart has been broken far too many times from false lovers, so it has become rather battered and bruised.” Eddie paused and then with a hint of embarrassment continued. “Admittedly, your first gift is not my best piece. I had to sew and tuck certain areas in rather quickly, and I haven’t had the chance to properly measure you yet…” His words trailed off as he looked to Waylon as though waiting for something. With a jolt, Waylon realized that apparently his kidnapper wanted

some sort of  _ reassurance  _ from Waylon as though it was somehow Waylon’s fault for being kidnapped on such short notice.

_ My bad _ , Waylon internally hissed.  _ Next time I’ll make sure to send my measurements ahead of time when you decide to kidnap me _ .

Instead, he said “Did you make this? It’s… fantastic.” And, honestly? The dress was a really lovely piece. Despite apparently being made on short notice, it was a very well made nightgown that would have looked lovely on someone who actually  _ chose  _ to wear it. The material draped over his shoulders and clung gently to his frame while still giving some illusion of existing breasts. Despite its sheerness, the nightgown still managed to maintain some of Waylon’s body heat albeit not much. It felt silky to the touch and resemblant of something out of a catalogue rather than the hands of a gigantic beast of a man.

“Yes! I enjoy tailoring and sewing in my free time, so we will never have to worry about buying any clothing for the children!”

Oh great. As if being mistaken for a bride-to-be wasn’t enough, Eddie was now convinced that he would have children with the decidedly very  _ male _ Waylon. Waylon  _ really _ did not want to still be around when the other discovered that Waylon lacked several essential parts needed for child bearing. 

“Oh! How… wonderful.”

Absentmindedly, Waylon pulled the covers closer to his body in order to shield himself from the leeching cold. He attempted to pull his legs inwards only to be stopped by an abrupt jerk and a high pitched rattling. Eyebrows furrowed, Waylon tried again only to be met with the same result. Dread filled Waylon as frustrated tears begged to be released from his eyes. 

_ No fucking way _ .

Waylon ripped the blanket covering his lower half. He internally prayed to whatever God that was listening that the source of the noise wasn’t what he thought it was.

Unfortunately for Waylon, it seemed that God was out on lunch, because there on his leg sat a gigantic metal shackle enclosing his ankle. The shackle was rusted and looked more like something out of a horror movie than something Waylon would ever see in real life, let alone his leg. Waylon leaned forward over his right leg and gingerly ran his fingers over the metal. A small chunk of what seemed like blood and nail fell off, and he had to resist the urge to vomit over the side of the bed. He just barely swallowed it down into a gag before looking up at Eddie with wide eyes.

“What…?”

Something dark crept through Eddie’s features and settled there much like a contented, fat cat finding a corner to lay.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, darling. It’s merely a precaution if you will. I would hate for you to get any silly ideas and decide to run on that injured leg of yours. I know how flighty women tend to get when excited, so I thought it best to tie you down just in case.”

Waylon pressed trembling fingertips to the bandage covering his other leg. White cloth blotted with old, dried blood ran from his ankle to about mid-calf. Judging by the pattern on the bandage, there was a long cut roughly a foot long curling around his leg. When the hell did…?! 

_ Fuck _ . That’s right. Just before Eddie had caught him, something had caught Waylon’s ankle as he was running and caused him to fall. Bitterly, Waylon realized that he must have made it to the cabin after all if Eddie was to be believed.

A hand gingerly grabbed Waylon’s leg, causing him to aggressively flinch into himself. Looking downwards, Waylon’s eyes met Eddie’s own two as the other peered up at him. Eddie gently caressed his leg. Maintaining eye contact, he delicately tilted his head so that it was resting right against the wound before inhaling deeply and closing his eyes. Almost immediately, Eddie let out a low moan as though he was smelling some sweet confectionary rather than a bloody bandage. A squeak passed through Waylon’s lips without his permission, causing Eddie's

eyelids to snap back open. Eddie jerked away as though doused in cold water. He backed away almost inhumanely quickly and held a hand over his mouth.

“Darling...I...I’m so sorry. Your beauty just overwhelmed me for a moment there, and I almost….before the wedding even.... Oh well, you know how a man gets when he wants to know a woman, especially one as lovely as you.”

Brushing back a stray lock, Eddie backed away towards the door while keeping an eye on Waylon the entire time. “I’ll just… go get things ready for the wedding…! I’ll be back soon, darling!” And with that, Eddie was gone, leaving Waylon alone with only his thoughts and a shackle to keep him company.


	3. Lesson Three: Don't Run with Scissors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weddie getting ready for the wedding

A whine escaped Waylon’s lips as his nails scrambled for purchase against the wooden wardrobe. “Pl-eaaase…! No more…! I can’t!” The sensations running through his body were just too much, and Waylon’s entire body felt as though it was on fire. Biting his lip harshly, Waylon was almost surprised to find he hadn’t torn the flesh there yet. 

“Just… a little more… darling! Almost...there!” The sound of Eddie’s grunting behind him did little to calm Waylon. Instead, his words almost made the animalistic frenzy inside Waylon grow even stronger.

“No no no no no no, I can’t, Eddie, please! I can’t take any more!” The sounds that left Waylon's throat were little more than a high pitched whine. Every breath felt like an eternity and left him more hungry for oxygen than the last.

“A woman... has to suffer some things. It's not pleasant, I know. But just try to... endure. For my sake. For the sake of our children…!”

Waylon shook his head rapidly. His once somewhat neat hair was now in disarray. There was no way he could handle another inch! For all of Eddie’s soft croons, Waylon doubted the other was experiencing any kind of hardship at the moment. He would love to see Eddie on the receiving end. Unfortunately, he didn’t see that happening any time soon. Waylon forced a pained moan back down his throat and refused to acknowledge the growing moisture at the corners of his eyes. Despite his best efforts, a strangled whimper found its way out into the open air. 

“And...there!”

Eddie tied the corset off and backed away from Waylon. Waylon huffed or at least attempted some broken form of one. His eye twitched as he viewed himself in the mirror, eyeing a version of himself he never thought he would see. His copy wore a corset tightly grasping at his flesh and forcing his body into an hourglass-like shape. It pushed his body into curves more befitting of a young, slight woman rather than an almost six-foot man.

“Wonderful! You are a vision of beauty, my love!” Despite Eddie’s words, Waylon felt more like a sausage forced into a tight encasing. Eddie lightly grabbed Waylon’s chin to view his face at

different angles as though checking the features on a show pony. “I know usually the groom seeing his bride before the wedding is considered bad luck, but there was no other way. Our wedding is so close that there was no one else available to help you into your gown.”

Waylon swallowed back the bitter words that threaten to tumble out of his mouth. _Oh no. If only there was a way to postpone it all._ While he couldn’t voice his thoughts out loud, at least he could internally curse the other man. Instead of spitting out venom-filled thoughts, Waylon forced a fake smile onto his face.

“I know having a wedding at the moment may not be ideal given your current state, but do not fret, darling. You will feel much better soon. I’ll make sure of it.”

Waylon paused as his eyebrows furrowed. He shot the other a curious glance. Now that was a rather peculiar statement even for Eddie. What did that even mean? Unless, Waylon shivered, it was an allusion to the dreaded honeymoon. Eddie’s lecherous glances and not-quite-casual touches while helping Waylon into what appeared to be a sewing room were nothing compared to the downright perverted stroking Waylon had endured while Eddie took measurements and put on the torture instrument that was the corset. Casting another glance at his double in the mirror, Waylon fought the reflexive flinch at the sight of the tight encasing giving the illusion of wide hips, a slim waist, and small cleavage.

A hand ran across his lower stomach, and this time Waylon couldn’t stop the small jump in surprise. With wide eyes, he tilted his head upwards to glance at Eddie. Instead of looking at him, Eddie seemed to be watching Waylon’s double in the mirror with a soft look in his eyes. Eddie leaned down so that his face was cheek to cheek with Waylon before quietly murmuring into Waylon’s ear.

“Soon, you will be full with our children. What a sight you will be, darling.” Waylon shivered as hot air caressed the shell of his ear. “I can already imagine you taking care of our little ones.” He hummed. “Your care for your friend was one of the things that drew me to you, you know. Even trembling in the cold and near unconsciousness, you still held out for a friend. Such a strong, little thing you are! You will handle the changes well. I just know it.”

With that, Eddie retreated and left the room, leaving a stock-still Waylon staring into his reflection. Waylon _really_ didn’t like the sound of whatever the hell that was supposed to mean. There was no way Waylon was sticking around long enough to figure out what _changes_ Eddie meant either. Glancing around the room wildly, Waylon grabbed the closest, sharpest thing he could manage: a small pair of sewing scissors. They weren’t the best weapon in the world, and their limited range made it so Waylon would have to be fairly close to actually make use of them, but it was better than nothing. He could hear Eddie’s footsteps approaching, so Waylon quickly inhaled deeply and shoved the small scissors in the tiny crack he had managed to make between his skin and the fabric. Hopefully the other would be too caught up in his strange fantasy to notice the small indention in the stiff corset. 

A small knock at the door alerted Waylon to Eddie’s arrival. He turned away from the mirror with a small, strained smile on his face as he tried desperately to ignore the added pressure on his ribcage. The first chance Waylon had, he was taking the scissors out and placing them somewhere else. Their current position was doing no favors for his breathing. Eddie, either genuinely ignorant or simply ignoring the obvious discomfort radiating from Waylon’s entire being, smiled excitedly at Waylon. Not for the first time since meeting him, Waylon absentmindedly wondered at how someone’s eyes could be so bright they almost glowed.

“Darling! I hope you do not mind me nitpicking the dress right before our wedding, but I think I have just the surprise to make up for it! Now, if you would please lift your arms, I would greatly appreciate it.” 

Waylon mechanically lifted his arms upwards as though he were a small child waiting to be dressed by a parent rather than a full grown man. Soon, the soft drag of fabric ran across his skin as the voluminous wedding dress passed over his head. The dress fell to the ground in a small pile before Eddie pulled the top up towards Waylon’s chest. Eddie quickly made his way so around Waylon so that the other was now facing Waylon’s back and thus the zipper of the dress. Even with the corset hugging his body tightly, Waylon still had to inhale even more to fit into the gown as Eddie hooked and zipped the back together. 

The sight of Waylon in a dress should have been an awkward, disjointed one that made no sense, and yet Waylon’s reflection had decided to betray him once more. Instead of a nearly six

foot tall man, Waylon appeared as little more than a blushing bride waiting for her big day. If not for the clear dread and horror in his double’s eyes, Waylon would have thought he was looking at a stranger rather than himself. The wedding dress itself was a vision of beauty with its bone white color and the lacy monstrosity that covered his arms and shoulders like a cobweb shawl. It clung tightly to his chest and worked with the corset to create the illusion of small breasts. For a dress intended for a smaller female, it fit Waylon surprisingly well. It made Waylon wonder just how many others had been forced to wear the dress and suffer through the fitting to get it to its current form. Eddie was absentmindedly clucked under his breath as he nipped and tucked the dress in various areas to better fit Waylon. There was a pause, a coo, and then something sheer and white was suddenly obscuring his vision. Waylon blinked and grasped at the mesh material. Before he could think too much on what was currently covering his face, Waylon was being turned away and pulled away. He reflexively grasped tightly onto Eddie’s arm due to his inability to see more than vague shapes surrounding him.

“Come along now, darling. It is almost time for our union.” Waylon stumbled slightly over the long dress. He could hear muffled chuckles from Eddie, and Waylon scowled underneath the veil. It wasn’t his fault the damn thing obscured his vision! Combined with the dress, the veil made it so Waylon could barely move let alone keep up with the quick pace Eddie was setting. 

“Eddie, can you please-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Waylon squawked as his feet suddenly left the ground. Instead of the feeling of the somewhat steady floor, twin pressures from underneath his upper back and knees were present. Waylon panickily grabbed for the first thing he could in an attempt to regain some sort of control. Grasping wildly, he found Eddie’s neck and clung tightly, which he soon regretted. Waylon could practically feel the glow off of the other man, and there was no wonder why. They were likely the picture-perfect vision of an impatient bride and groom ready to get to the altar.

Fantastic.

Waylon’s eyes narrowed as he contemplated attempting to choke Eddie. It sounded like a good idea, but Waylon didn’t think he would get very far. His current angle would do him no favors in

trying to strangle Eddie and would likely result in some strange form of a hug rather than an escape attempt. Waylon internally cursed the angle, the stupid veil, the situation, Eddie, and anything else he could. He just wanted to find his friend! _Who the hell kidnaps people to marry in the middle of a goddamn forest anyways?!_

“I know you must be as excited as I am, darling, but I do have a surprise in store for you that I think you will love.”

Considering Eddie’s last surprise was a corset and a wedding dress, Waylon decided he was not looking forward to whatever Eddie had in store. The ever-constant stabbing pressure at his side kept the stowed scissors in Waylon’s mind. If only he could find a chance to pull them out and stab Eddie. Small or not, a pair of scissors to the neck would be enough to kill anyone including a giant behemoth of a man. Curling his fingers inwardly, Waylon briefly fancied the idea of pulling out the scissors and catching Eddie unaware. While the idea was tempting, it meant he would somehow have to reach inside the corset and pull out the scissors still tucked away while right in front of Eddie’s face. There was also the fact that Waylon could barely see a foot in front of himself let alone find Eddie’s neck before the other realized Waylon’s intentions. Bitterly, Waylon realized that he would likely have to wait until they were at the ‘altar’ before he could make a move.

A sudden stop jerked Waylon’s thoughts back to the present. He reflexively grabbed onto Eddie’s shoulders to prevent falling. Eddie chuckled once more.

“Relax, darling.” 

Before he knew what was happening, Waylon felt himself being lowered. His feet touched the ground, and the sudden pain in his ankle made him buckle into Eddie’s side. Trembling, he picked himself up and leaned heavily to the side. Without even looking, he could tell that the wound had reopened. The sensation of blood trickling gently down his leg was slowly becoming more and more familiar. Underneath his hands, Waylon could feel Eddie’s muscles stiffen. 

“We must hurry before your wound gets much worse.”

There was a pause, a few quick muttered words that sounded vaguely threatening in nature, and then suddenly the veil was lifted from Waylon’s face. He blinked rapidly at the sudden assault of light.

“Waylon?!”

Waylon jerked his head to face the source of the noise only to stare flabbergasted.

“Miles?!”

Standing in front of a makeshift altar in a tuxedo, Miles looked almost as confused as Waylon felt. He looked worse for wear, but Miles was alive. That was all that really mattered in the end. Before Waylon could get a better look at his friend, Eddie grasped Waylon’s hands tightly and dragged Waylon’s eyes back to him. 

“I told you I had a surprise for you! Who better to marry us than the reason our worlds collided?”


End file.
